9 [a]But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the [b]Gentiles.
2 [c]The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3 You shall multiply the nation,
You shall [d]increase [e]their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness [f]of harvest,
As [g]men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as [h]at the battle of Midian.
5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will [i]rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
In the middle of this prophetic message about a child that would come, we are reminded of God’s attributes (v. 6). And in truth, they are also the attributes of the child, since he was and is Jesus Christ, born to rescue not just Israel, or Zebulun and Naphtali, but even the gentiles.
His name of Wonderful Counselor reminds us that he is the source of wisdom. God’s truths sustain and keep us, and when we follow His instructions, things go a lot better for us. No doubt, there is still the promise of trials and tribulation in this life, but He is also the antidote for any anxiety we may face as the Prince of Peace.
As Jesus stated, this is not a peace like the world seeks, that is a respite from war. This was what many Jews expected of the Messiah, but that was short term thinking. God’s peace is about eternal life and security. He is not just Father to us during this short life upon the earth, but He is the Eternal Father.
As such, God holds us safely in His hands. What we entrust to Him, even our very souls, cannot be taken from Him. We can rest safe and secure in His grasp. Not least because He is the one and only Mighty God. There is nothing above Him, nothing stronger, or more capable, because He is capable of anything.
As we see in the final verse, “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” What God has decreed will be accomplished, no matter what men may do, no matter what the enemy of our souls may attempt, God is the final authority. With all of that in mind, we can rejoice and be glad, like a farmer who finds plenty in the harvest (and more). Find peace, comfort, strength, and wisdom, in the only One who holds the world in His hands.